Chapter 26: Regarding Malice &
Jealousy
It has been mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an
(وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا
فَضَّلَ اللہُ بِہٖ بَعْضَکُمْ عَلٰی بَعْضٍ ؕ لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِیۡبٌ مِّمَّا
اکْتَسَبُوۡا ؕ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِیۡبٌ مِّمَّا اکْتَسَبْنَ ؕ وَسْئَلُوا اللہَ
مِنۡ فَضْلِہٖ ؕ اِنَّ اللہَ کَانَ بِکُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیۡمًا ﴿۳۲﴾)
‘And do not wish for that in which Allah has given
others distinction over you. For men, there is a share for in that which they
have earned and for the women (as well) there is a share in that which they
have earned, And ask Allah of His Grace, Verily is the Knower of all things.’ [Surah Nisa 4 Verse
32]
And Allah says:
(وَ مِنۡ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ
اِذَا حَسَدَ ٪﴿۵﴾ )
‘I seek refuge from the evil of a jealous person, when
he is jealous’ [Surah 113) Verse 5]
Hadith 1: Ibn Majah
reported on the authority of Anas رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Jealousy (envy) eats away at good
deeds like fire burns through wood, and Sadqa[1]
extinguishes wrongs just as water extinguishes fire’. A similar narration has
been reported in Abu Dawud on the authority of Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ.
Hadith 2: Dailmi
reported in Musnad-ul-Firdaus from Mu’awiyah bin Haida رضی
اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah said
‘Jealousy ruins (ones) Imaan, just as Aloe, spoils honey’.
Hadith 3: Imam Ahmed
and Tirmizi reported on the authority of Zubair bin Awaam رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی
اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said ‘A disease from the past nations has
crept into you. That disease is malice and jealousy. It is the thing that
shaves off. It shaves (removes) the Imaan and not the hair. I swear by Him in
Whose Divine Power is the life of Muhammad صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم, you shall not enter into paradise until you do not have Imaan,
and you shall not become Momins[2]
unless you are not affectionate towards one another. Should I not inform you
regarding that, which if you do, it will create love between you? Make the
conveying of Salaam widespread amongst you’.
Hadith 4: Tabrani
reported from Abdullah ibn Basar رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said,
‘Jealousy, tale bearing and fortune telling are neither from me and nor am I
from it’. In other words, Muslims should totally refrain from these things.
Hadith 5: In Sahih
Bukhari it is reported from Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Do not be envious and malicious to one
another and do not backbite, and the servants of Allah should live as brothers
(in harmony)’.
Hadith 6: It has
been reported in Sahih Bukhari on the authority of Ibn-e-Umar رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہما
says that he heard Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم saying, ‘There
is no envy except in two; a person to whom Allah has given the Book[3]
and he spends the night standing (reciting) it. The other is a person to whom
Allah has given wealth and he gives Sadqa in the day and night[4].’
Hadith 7: It is in
Sahih Bukhari from Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘There is no envy except upon two
persons. The first is regarding the person upon whom Allah has bestowed the knowledge
of the Qur’an and he spends day and night reciting it. (and) his neighbour
hears this (recitation) and says, ‘I wish I too would have been bestowed with
that which has been given to that person, I too would have performed
meritorious deeds like him’. The second is regarding that person whom Allah has
blessed with (an abundance) of wealth and he spends it in the right way, and someone
says, ‘I wish I too were given, like he has been given, then I too would have
done meritorious deeds like him’. In both these Hadith, envy (jealousy) refers
to Ghabata[5]
which people also refer to as ‘Rushk’. This actually means to desire some good
thing, which someone else has already achieved. In desiring this, one should
not have this wish that the thing which the other person has should be lost or
it should be taken away from them, because this is the actual intent in
jealousy (i.e. in jealousy one has a malicious intent). It is for this reason
that jealousy is regarded as being contemptible and ‘Ghabata’ is not regarded
as being contemptible. The same can also be derived from the book ‘Tarjamatul
Lubaab’ by Imam Bukhari, wherein it is mentioned that these Ahadith refer to
‘Ghabata’ thus, both these Hadith would be interpreted to mean, that these are
the only two things in which there is ‘Ghabata’, as both these are great bounties
of Allah. One should have ‘Ghabata’ only with regards to these two things, and
not for other things. واﷲتعالیٰ اعلم بالصواب۔
Hadith 8: Baihaqi
reported from Hazrat A’isha رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہا that Rasoolullah
صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘On the eve of the fifteenth of
Sha’baan, Allah ta’aala sends down His Special Manifestations upon His servants.
He forgives those who are seeking forgiveness, and He showers His Mercy upon
those who seek His forgiveness and as for those who have malice, he leaves them
(to wallow) be in their (pathetic) state’.
Hadith 9: Imam Ahmed
reports on the authority of Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said,
‘The Register of deeds of the people is presented twice a week, on a Monday and
on a Thursday. Every servant is pardoned, except for that person, who harbors
animosity (i.e. malice) between him and his brother’. Regarding them it is commanded,
‘Leave them until such time that they abstain from this (malice and
animosity)’.
Hadith 10: Tabrani
reported on the authority of Usama bin Zaid رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘The Deeds of the people are presented before
Allah on a Monday and Thursday. He pardons all of them, except for those two
people who harbor malice between each other, and that person who severs the
bonds of kindness’.
Hadith 11: Imam Ahmed
and Abu Dawud report from Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said,
‘The Doors of Jannat are opened on a Monday and Thursday. Every servant who has
not committed ‘Shirk’ (polytheism) is pardoned, except for that person, who
harbors animosity between him and his brother. Regarding them it is commanded,
‘Allow them reprieve until such time that they make peace with one another’.’
Laws of Jurisprudence
Hasad[6] is Haraam. It has been
severely condemned in the Hadith. Jealousy is when one sees some virtuous thing
in a person. If he finds him to be in a good condition and then wishes that,
the said person should lose that blessing and he should rather receive it.
However, if one wishes that, I too should be like him and I too should receive such
a blessing or bounty, then this is not regarded as jealousy. This is regarded
as ‘Ghabata, which people interpret to mean ‘desire’. [Alamgiri]
Law: To have the longing or
desire to acquire the actual thing which someone else has is regarded as
jealousy, because one can only acquire that particular thing, if the person who
possesses it, loses possession of it. (However) if one desires that he should
get that which is similar to what the other person has, then this is regarded as
‘Ghabata’, because in this case, there is no desire for the other person to
incur a loss. [Alamgiri]. It has been mentioned in the Hadith Shareef, that there is no
jealousy, except in two things. One is in the case of a person who has been
blessed with wealth and he spends it in the right way. The other is in case of
a person who has been blessed with knowledge and he teaches it to the people,
and makes decisions in accordance with this knowledge. From this Hadith, it appears
that it is permissible to be jealous in two cases, but after examining this
carefully, one will also note that even in these cases, ‘Hasad’ is Haraam. Some
Ulama have mentioned that ‘Hasad’ in this context refers to ‘Ghabata’. This is
the meaning that is also derived from Imam Bukhari’s ‘Tarjamatul Lubaab’, and
some Ulama have mentioned that the meaning of this, is that if jealously would
have been regarded as permissible, then
it would have only been regarded as permissible in these two instances.
However, in reality, it is also not permissible in this as well, just as it is
interpreted in the case of the Hadith: لَا شُؤْمَ اِلَّا فِی
الدَّارِالحدیث Some Ulama have
mentioned that the meaning of the Hadith is that only these two things are
worth being envious about. Since other things are not worthy enough, that one should
be envious regarding them, because jealousy really means that you see some
blessing of Allah, which someone else has and you then desire that you too
should have that blessing. The (materialistic) things in this world are not
really blessings, that the desire to acquire them should cause one concern. For
the wealth of this world is that which causes one to earn Allah’s displeasure,
and these things (i.e. wealth that is spent righteously and knowledge that is used
correctly) are things which allow one to attain the pleasure of Allah. So,
these are the things which are really known as (Allah’s Blessings), and there
can be ‘Hasad’ (envy) in this. [Alamgiri]
[1] Sadqa here refers to charity.
[2] A Momin is a true and devout believer.
[3]
This refers to a person who has been blessed with the knowledge of
the Qur’an.
[4]
In other words, he continuously gives charity from that which
Allah has blessed him with.
[5]
Ghabata is not really jealousy, but it rather refers to desiring
something. In other words, it is when one desires something that someone has,
without having malicious intent.
[6] Hasad refers to envy and jealousy.
0 comments:
Post a Comment